Improved foot aktd kneeling-stool for churches



me can.

.Janus` r. Trnnrrs,

or Nnwronn, N.

Letters Patent No. 97,993, dated December 14, 1869.

IMPROVED FboT am) KNEELINcesTooi. PoR CHURCHES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To alll whom, tmc/y concern Be it known that I, JAMES 1).' p',lrnls, of-the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ,in Foot and VKneelilug-Stools for Ghui'ches;and Idohereby 4declare that the following is a full,`clear, `and exact dcseriptiouof the same,". reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a'portiou of this speciiicat-iou, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional View, show ing my invention Vas arranged fr use as a footstool.

Figure 2 is a like view, representing the same adapted for use as a kneelingfstool.

Similar letters of yreference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

'lhis invention is designed to furnish a stool which, in churches, may he i used eitherasafoctstool or as a kneelingstool, or substitute for a hassock, as may be 'desirable and appropriate at different portions of the church-service.` v

It consists in a box-shaped stool, having two cushioned sides, and'hinged, or otherwise attached to the floor, in such manuel', that when turned forward into one `p ositiou, it may serve as a footstool, and when turned back in a reverse position,- as a kneeling-stool.

The invent-ion furtherconsists in so combining the stool, 'as thus constructed, with the longitudinal pew-` seat partition in front of it, that any noise which might otherwise occur, from the striking of the edge of the stool upon the iioor, when the stool is turned forward, is wholly obviated.

. To' enable others to understand the nature and construction of my invention, I will proceed to describe it, with reference tothe drawings.

vThe pew-seat, in connection with which the stool is toA be used, is shown at A; and B indicates the stool. 'lhis latter is made of wood, or other suitablel Inaterial, and is ofthe `boxlike shape illustratedin crosssection by the drawings, its two sides, a and b, being attached at their extremities to the end-pieces c. 'lhe outersurfaces of theseftwo sides a b are, furthermore, cushioned, covered,or` upholstered with any suitable soft, yielding, or elastic stnii or fabric, as represented at a.

The stool isplaced in front of the pew-seat A, in a position parallel therewith, and-at `a suitable dist-ance therefrom. Its end-pieces c, at their corners b', are

. hinged, pivoted, or'otherwise attached to the door, so

that'the stoolm'ayibe turned bodily forward 'and back,

upon the axis thus constituted;

The sides a b of the'. stool are situated in planes, at such an angle t9 each other as will enable eachside to serve its purpose in the most satisfactory manner,V

when the stool is brought into one position or the other, as the case may be.

Underneath the pew-seat, shown in dotted outline in the drawings, forward of the one to which the stool is adj unctive, is the usual longitudinal'partition C, occupying, of course, a position parallel with that ofthe stool. This partition is, furthermore, at such distance from the axis or point at which the stool is attached tothe floor, that when the stool is turned forward, for use as a footstooh as shown in` fig. 1, the cushioned surface of its side l1 will come in contact with the at surface of the partition, and, by arresting its movement, without slamming, and without contact with the iioor, ofthe edge of .the just-mentioned side, efiectually prevents the noise'which would otherwise occur, to the annoyance of the congregation, when the stool is thrown forward.

It will be seen from the above description, that when he stool is turned forward, as just previously herein explained, with the side a uppermost, the feet ofthe oc H eupant of the pew-seat A may be placed upon, and supl ported by the said uppermost side, in the same inanner as by an ordinary stool. And furthermore, that when the stool is turned back, as represented in fig. 2, with the side l) uppermost, the same will be in such relation with the pew-seat, that the occupant of the latter may kneel upon the stool with the same facility as upon an ordinary stool,- cushion, or hassock.

The device is thus made to serve a double purpose, adapting it for use,1 as may be desired, at different portions of the church-service.

In practice, it is preferred'to extend the cushioning of the side al ever the outer edgethereof, in order that no noise may result by its contact with the floor, when the stool is turned back, as previously herein set forth.

In addition to this, it is in some cases advisable to provide the aibresaid edge 'with two or more small knobs of India rubber, or equivalent elastic substance, attached to the edge'by any suitable means.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-,

The stool B, constructed "with sides av b, at right' angles, or thereabut, to each other, and hinged, pivoted, or otherwise connected with the door, in combination with the partition C, substantially as shown Witnesses: Y

Y FRED. -BAYNEs',

HENRY PALMER. 

